I'll Find You
by Enna York
Summary: Aara knew the pain of losing her family, so she spends her life ensuring everyone has a family. But when Geostigma begins to run rampant through the city she finds herself at a loss as to what to do-that is until Kadaj arrives with a promise for a cure. Should she trust him and join his quest to find Mother? Or will she try to run?
1. Chapter 1: Full Time Job

_I make it my job to find people, specifically to bring families back together. I lost my parents. I know what it's like to wake up and cry because you don't have a mother to comfort you from your nightmares or a father to make you breakfast. Since I know the pain of not having a mother or father I don't want anyone else to ever feel that._

 _I will go out and find the missing children that no one else is willing to look for, if a child has lost their parent and has nowhere to turn to I make it my business to find their parent for them-or else become their parent for them._

 _Aara_

Aara could still remember her parents; her mother with angled, coal black eyes and long silky ebony hair and a father with light brown hair and clean shaven face. She inherited her father's hair it was such a light brown though that it could understandably be mistaken for a dark blonde, but her mother's coal black eyes-these traits were all she had left of her parents the only thing that she had to remember them.

Ever since she lost them she had been staying in the Midgar slums, it's not like she could afford somewhere better. In fact she preferred the slums because it meant her house was free of charge. Ever since Geostigma hit she found that there were increasing numbers of lost and orphaned children-and never being one to turn someone in trouble away she took in she took in every child with Geostigma she could find.

In her three storey house the third level had been converted into what the kids called the hospital wing- though Aara didn't necessarily explain it to the kids this way, she put all the Geostigma infected together for two reasons. Firstly for quarantine-she didn't want to be cruel and separate them but at the same time she couldn't risk infecting the others. She only allowed herself on the third floor. And secondly she did it for their comfort, to know there was someone else who knew what you were going through Aara was certain would bring the children comfort.

"Has anyone seen this boy?! Anyone!" Aara shouted from the street corner holding a large photo of the boy in hand it was the last of the posters she had been able to make. She had been walking up and down the streets. Depending on where she went searching some street corners were very familiar with her presence and many people were willing to be interviewed by her-some however, just found her annoying, "Come on, if this was your child wouldn't you want them to be found? If you were this child wouldn't you want to be found?" she pleaded with people passing by.

She had been at this for four hours and hadn't found much to her frustration, all she knew was where he was last seen, when he was last seen, his name and a list of people he knew. Suddenly Aara heard a scream from up the street and saw people moving quickly away from something-or someone.

She jogged up the street to see what was causing so much distress, it was a child with Geostigma collapsed in the street. He had collapsed face first into the dirt and was wheezing in his attempt to breathe.

"Isn't anyone going to help him?" she called out angrily as she elbowed her way through the people trying to get away from him. She managed to force her way through the throng of people fleeing or else staring at him in a mixture of disgust and horror.

She knelt down in front of him and rolled him over, "Hey are you okay?" she asked him softly brushing his hair back from his face, his skin felt hot under hand with a fever.

"Stay away I'm sick." He coughed.

"That's why I have to stay with you." She answered him and with that slung his arm over her shoulder pulling him up to his feet. He put all his weight onto her, too weak to stand on his own feet-she didn't mind she understood she had spent so much time next to people with Geostigma now she felt at times like she had it to.

She made her way to the crowd to push through, "Don't you dare infect me you-you freak." Someone snarled at her as she tried to push her way through.

She grit her teeth in anger not understanding how people could be so cruel to one another let alone a helpless child, "I'm not infected and if anyone around here is sick it's you for leaving this child to suffer." She growled in response and roughly pushed her way into the people.

There were yelps of terror and surprise and people instantly moved out of her way, she shifted the child's weight around and smirked happy that they made her life easier by moving out of her way. She walked with him like this for two blocks before he fainted, not sure if she could safely walk with him like that any longer she swept him up into the air carrying him princess style all the way back to her house.

Her walk was long but Aara didn't mind, all she cared about was getting him to a safe warm bed and getting food into his system. She came to a stop in front of her dilapidated house it's roof was actually sagging down on the right side and most of the windows had to be boarded up since the glass was broken.

Aara walking over to the door knocked on it with her foot, it was opened by Rin, one of the small girls she took in. She had met Rin two years ago and was unable to reunite the girl with her parents so Rin asked to stay with Aara. Her long chestnut brown hair was contained into to high pigtails.

"I'm going to take him up to the third floor and make some food for everyone, could I ask you to disinfect for me?" Aara asked the small girl.

Rin nodded, "Sure thing Aara." She chirped and dashed off to grab a mop. Since not much was known about Geostigma Aara treated it like any other illness keeping the sick separated from the healthy and constantly cleaning everything to prevent infection and for the sake of the sick. As she climbed up the stairs Rin followed behind with cleaner and mop in hand.

Aara finally managed to get to the third floor and open the door to the boys' room. Three of the children were bedridden and the others were else playing on the floor or sitting on the edge of the mattresses of their bedridden friends.

Aara sighed in relief because there was an unused mattress right next to the door. She collapsed to her knees placing the boy down on his new bed. He groaned and shifted and she gently pulled the sheets over him. She brushed the hair back from his face again, he was still running a fever and was sweating profusely.

"Auntie Aara who's this?" one of the boys asked jumping on her back and embracing her tightly.

She shook her head and ruffled the boy's hair, "I'm not sure he had already collapsed when I found him." She answered snatching him and putting the boy Sai in her lap. She smiled down on him with her evil grin and began to tickle him. He giggled and squirmed around in her lap laughing from being tickled.

"Stop it! Stop it!" he playfully cheered. Two of the bedridden boys sat up and laughed at the sight and a few of the other boys rushed over climbing onto Aara trying to win her attention as well.

She laughed in joy and slowly peeled the children off of herself, "Alright, alright guys I have to go now and make supper. Could I ask you all to keep an eye out on him for me? And get me once he wakes up."

"Yes ma'am!" Sai stated standing up and puffing his chest out.

She got to her feet and walked to the door of their room, "Be back soon." She chimed.

She walked over to the bathroom on the third floor which thankfully still had running water-though the water heater only worked about half the time if even that-usually they had to heat the water themselves. She scrubbed her arms clean afraid that she could spread a virus through the house.

She then dashed down stairs to the kitchen, "I finished moping the floors Auntie." Rin said as she padded into the kitchen the mop and cleaner still in hand.

"Thanks Rin." Aara said as she began to prep for dinner, just a simple soup for tonight it was the best she could manage with what little they had. Resources were being stretched thin, Aara had never had to take in so many children at once. But since Geostigma hit the number of children who she couldn't reunite with their families increased dramatically either because their parents had died or their parents abandoned them because they were sick.

Rin grabbed a stool and pulled herself up next to Aara insisting on helping, only seconds later was the kitchen flooded with children eager and excited to be of assistance. The children all adored Aara for her caring, motherly nature and her willingness to help them when no one else wanted to. Children flocked to her and loved playing with her and she loved nothing more than playing with them.

Dinner was made and she served all of the healthy children first. The dining room consisted of several dilapidated tables and chairs scavenged from the streets, abandoned houses or the dump, some of them pushed together creating clumps everywhere.

"Thank you for the meal!" the children called out in near perfect synchronization to Aara who smiled at them.

"Eat up!" she called back and then prepared the trays to carry soup up to the sick children. Just as she started up the stairs Sai was dashing down them. Despite the fact it was a short distance he was already winded from being sick.

"The boy… he's awake his name is Tomo." Sai panted.

Aara would have ruffled his hair if her hands were free but they were filed with the trays of soup, she settled for giving him a warm smile instead, "Thanks Sai. Now back upstairs it's time for dinner." He nodded and began to climb up the stairs slowly still exhausted from his dash.

Aara quickly felt the strength leave her arms as they slowly climbed up stairs she was getting exhausted but made herself hold onto the tray refusing to let it fall. When they finally got to the third floor she sighed in relief and trailed after Sai to his room.

She put the trays down by the doors and gave her arms a short rest before caring a bowl of soup to each of the children who obediently sat on their beds or sat up in their beds. The soup was soon passed around and Aara crouched down next to the new boy-Tomo.

"Hey, my name's Aara, I heard your name was Tomo." She greeted stretching her hand out to him, he looked at it and took it shaking it gently, "You collapsed in the street and I brought you here so you could get better. But if you need to get home, or if there's someone you need to get to I can take you there myself."

"Oh, thank you… but there's only me." He answered her.

She smiled at him, "That's alright, most everyone here only had themselves and now we have each other. If you want to you can stay with us, we look after each other here."

She saw his eyes shine and water as they widened and looked at her, he released a choked sob of relief and happiness and he stuck his arms out-willingly Aara embraced the small boy who cried into her shoulder.

"Thank you. Thank you." He cried into her clasping onto her desperately.

She rubbed reassuring circles on his back, "It's okay, it's okay I've got you. We won't ever let you suffer alone again." She let him cry for a few second longer before pulling away, "Now, crying isn't going to do anything but let your soup get cold and cold soup is no good soup. So eat up." She told him in a motherly manner passing him his bowl.

He accepted it gratefully and began to eat, Aara got to her feet brushing off her pant legs. She looked to the other boys in the room, "Can I ask you all to be nice to your new brother Tomo, show him the ropes and play with him?" she asked them.

"Yes Aara." They called back smiling up at her from their meals.

"Thank you." She replied and with that dashed down stairs to get soup for the other rooms. She returned a minute later much faster than her first trip up the stairs this time going to the girls' room. This one was admittedly more decorated then the last one. The girls had drawn on the walls various designs of flowers and horses and princesses, there was also a pink blanket albeit filled with holes because Aara had found it in the trash and brought it home spending hours scrubbing it clean, that was hanging on the wall as decoration. The girls had circled around in the center of the room cutting out paper designs they had told her they wanted to make paper decorations to decorate their room.

They glanced up at her, "Mommy!" shouted one of the youngest girls there, Clover who leapt up to her feet in excitement. She lovingly referred to Aara as her mommy no matter how many times Aara and the other children tried to correct her.

"Hey girls." She greeted, "I've got supper!" she chirped lifting up the trays, the girls smiled up at her excitedly and rushed around her for their dinner. The soup was soon passed about and the girls quieted down to eat.

Satisfied that everyone had been fed Aara made her way back down the kitchen washing her hands before sitting down to have a meal herself. Once she finished she walked into the kitchen to happily see that all the kids who had eaten in the dining room had put their dirtied dishes in the sink neatly. She made her way upstairs to collect the dirtied dished up there and brought them downstairs.

She washed everything by hand and then put all of the children to bed before going to bed herself.

Author's Rambling Space

So I know Geostigma isn't contagious and is the host infected with Jenova cells, but Aaara as an ordinary citizen wouldn't know that so she's treating it like it is. I also know the kids should be covered in sores and such but I just didn't want to add that in. Just so you know!


	2. Chapter 2: Best Intentions

When she woke up the next morning Aara got changed and then tied her hair up preparing to clean everything from top to bottom in the house. When she had started most of the kids were asleep which she was thankful for since they get in the way being underfoot and all. She started by mopping all the floors, then washing the walls. She tackled the kitchen next putting away clean dishes and anything dirtied she had missed the night before and immediately after wiping down all the counters. She tackled bathrooms next, wiping the mirrors, wiped down the sinks, counters and toilets.

She was just fixing a third floor tub with a leaky tap when a sleepy Sai stumbled in his pyjamas rumpled and rubbing at his eye, "Morning Aara." He slurred sleepily, suddenly he clutched his stomach, Aara acted fast leaping to her feet and snatching the boy up getting him in front of the toilet.

He threw up his entire stomach's contents, he began to sob in pain and embarrassment, Aara crouched down next to him helping to hold his hair back with one hand and rub circles on his back with the other hand. She made comforting noises for him until he managed to stop.

"Thank you." He sniffed to her gratefully.

"Hey we all get sick sometimes, one of these days I'm going to be sick and you're going to have to hold my hair back for me." She answered him.

He sighed exhaustedly and leaned back against her, "No you're not going to get sick. You're like a mom and moms don't get sick."

She giggled at this and ran her fingers through Sai's hair he mumbled something along the lines of _that felt nice_ and she continued to do it knowing that it comforted the small boy, "Now now, moms do get sick and I'm not your mother."

Sai sighed and leaned back against her, "You are like our mother though, looking after us all, playing, cooking cleaning, teaching. Who knows where we would be without you." He answered.

"I'm sure you would have managed somehow." She answered him.

He turned in her lap and cried into her shoulder, "No don't say that. None of us could have made it, it's all thanks to you Aara!" she was somewhat stunned for that second as he clutched her tightly digging his nails into her skin, "Please don't ever leave us, you're all we have Aara. I don't know how to thank you properly for what you've done, please don't ever leave me. I love you like you're my mom."

She felt touched to the very bottom of her heart at his words and smiled down at him even though he couldn't see her face, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, "I promise I will always be here to look after you, no matter what."

They sat on the bathroom floor for a few more seconds holding one another before Aara broke the silence, "Let's get you back to bed, how does that sound. I'll make your favourite for breakfast omelette, how does that sound?"

"It sounds good…" he answered, with that said Aara got to her feet still holding Sai and he was still latched onto her. He was surprisingly light in her arms she figured it was because he was ill. She carried him back to his room and creaked the door open as silently as she could and walked over to his bed.

It took a few seconds of struggle to get him to release her and put him back in his bed. He was sound asleep, she chuckled quietly to herself and pulled his blanket up over him placing a soft motherly kiss on his forehead.

She got back to the bathroom and flushed the toilet before disinfecting it determinably, she would never say it but she was petrified that some of the children with Geostigma would die. It was easy to forget at times when they were playing, but at moments like these when she has to help them throw up or help bring down a fever she feels overwhelmed with fear for them.

Sighing heavily she grabbed her cleaning supplies and clomped down the stairs to the kitchen. The healthy children had started to awaken and were now running about the house playing and chasing and overall being children.

A few of them paused in their games to look at Aara, "Aara is there anything we can do to help?" they asked her.

"No I'm fine thanks, I'm almost finished with the chores anyways. All that's left is the laundry." She answered smiling. The oldest child in the house, Bram looked up from his book from his usual seat in the corner out of the way of the playing children and sighed pushing his glasses up his nose.

He shook his head out, _Aara puts too much strain on herself, she runs around all day handling everything herself-I need to confront her soon_ he thought to himself. He got up and stuck his hands in his pockets, "Hey Aara, let me make breakfast."

She shook her head out, "Mm no honestly I'm fine, just go back to reading Bram you've got school to worry about." She answered him.

"No I insist Aara, c'mon I'm almost fifteen now I need to become responsible." He answered her.

She turned around to face him putting her fists on her hips, "Now, now I'm the one who gets to decide when you're all grown up." She then flicked him on the forehead, "And you're still little Brammy boy. I can make breakfast, I'm not old you know."

He rubbed at his forehead, it was something she had done to him since they had first met, she called it her punishment for when the kids were bad. Bram was at first a trouble maker when he first came and got flicked almost constantly on the forehead, but after a while he realised that he respected Aara and made an attempt to behave.

He followed her into the kitchen and watched her prepare breakfast, "Bram." She called.

He glanced up from his spot at the table, "Mhm." He answered.

"Can you do me a favour?" Aara asked, he jumped in his spot feeling excited that she was going to ask him to do something for a change instead of taking all the burden on herself.

"Stay young for me?" she playfully teased him.

"Hey that's not a favour!" he whined in response.

He watched as she made breakfast, "Aara here I'll carry this up to the third floor." He offered reaching forward for the tray. She pulled it away from him.

"I've got it." She insisted, "Just get everyone else into the dining room." She stated, he nodded his head sighing at the fact that she would not delegate any work. He walked out of the kitchen and called everyone to attention.

Bram always managed to get everyone to listen, but it wasn't like with Aara. Bram knew they listened because he was older and sterner, whereas with Aara it was purely respect and admiration that drove them to listen.

Aara reappeared half way through the meal sitting down with her plate that was noticeably smaller in size, "Aara is that really all you're going to eat?" asked Zoe one of the older girls who was about eleven if Bram remembered correctly.

"Yeah, I wasn't all that hungry." Aara replied sheepishly, Bram could see the lie. He noticed that as he got older that he was able to notice things that he didn't when he was younger. The fact that Aara lied about how she was, how exhausted she would look after a day's work. Details he missed when he was younger and he attributed to being naïve.

He pushed up from his spot and walked over to Aara with his plate in hand pushing the remainder of his plate onto hers, truth be told he was still hungry but he wanted to do what he could, "I got full." He stated as an explanation.

He then went to make his way to the kitchen, "Wait, wait!" Ara called out causing him to pause in his tracks, "I've got an announcement to make. I know that usually on Sundays I take a break and play with you all. But things are a little different this week. I'm going to have to run some errands today. While I'm gone Bram is in charge okay!" she called out.

"Yes Aara!" the children called back to her.

She smiled, "I want you all to be well behaved and listen to Bram, what he says goes alright? And don't make a mess I just cleaned this morning." She added.

About an hour alter Aara was finally ready to leave with her shopping list in hand her small brown satchel resting at her hip, "I'll be back in a few hours' time alright!" she called as she stepped out the front door, the house meanwhile had been thrown into chaos and all the hard work she had put in that morning cleaning had been absolutely eradicated.

She shook her head out looking at the mess that awaited her and decided that the best course of action would be to get home as soon as possible-if she was fast enough she could probably recruit some of the older children to help in the housework.

She glanced down at the list again and how it seemed to grow every week. She then rooted around her satchel with her hand, money had always been tight but it seemed these days money was harder to come across despite the fact there were more jobs than ever for finding and reuniting the lost and missing.

Bram meanwhile was attempting to make peace out of the chaos that was the house, he couldn't understand how Aara dealt with it all-all the noise, the screaming, the constant running around made him exhausted. _I guess I have to give her more credit than I thought due_ he told himself chasing after Rin who was up to no good a pot in one hand and a pan in the other banging them together to make a horrible clattering sound.

"That's it everyone freeze!" he bellowed, and everyone froze at his angry shout and looked at him surprised he was usually quiet and reserved never losing his temper-though all the children knew he was easily irritated, he sighed, "We're going to have a nice organised game of hide and seek."

"But there's no way there's enough hiding spots for us all Bram!" Rin whined.

"Fine then hide and clap, does everybody know the rules?" he asked, after that the children calmed considerably and with Rin, Zoe and a few of the other older children's help he managed to somewhat structure the day.

That was until Sai came tumbling down the stairs, Bram immediately dashed over to pick the sick boy up-Sai wasn't sick when he first arrived at the house. But he also spent a lot of time playing on the street and that's where Bram thought he got Geostigma from.

Bram used to play with Sai, he picked him up, "Hey, hey Sai are you alright?" he asked checking the boy over for injury. If Aara was his older sister he considered Sai a younger brother.

"I-I'm fine it's the new kid Tomo. He isn't doing so great… we need Aara right away." He managed out weakly.

"Aara isn't here, she left to run errands." Bram said.

"Well you have to find her right away." Sai said weakly.

Bram felt his heart race he had to do something and he had to do it fast there was a life on the line, it was his turn to be the one to help Aara-he wasn't weak or young or foolish anymore he was grown up it was his turn to help.

"Rin carry Sai back upstairs get him to bed, take care of Tomo don't leave his side for anything. Zoe I want you to keep the younger kids here, keep them quite craft time maybe get some chores in. Anybody over ten we have to go and find Aara right away, come with me." The children assigned tasks nodded their head in understanding, the younger children also nodded setting their faces with determination.

The children that Bram called for assembled outside in the street, he organized them into groups and they took off to their respective neighbourhoods to search for Aara. Bram sprinted he purposely gave himself the farthest location. Being in the slums streets weren't the only way to get around quickly-they learned well from Aara means of short cuts through abandoned and ruined buildings. Roof tops became roads, so did fire escapes anything they could manage to climb on or leap on.

He clambered up a fire escape nimbly leaping into the empty window of the next building and sliding down the stairs to the ground floor dashing down into the street that would lead to where Aara usually shopped for vegetables.

Something though made him pause halfway through his sprint, he saw a truck that was loading children into the back of it, it was being overlooked by two teens who couldn't be much older than Aara. He changed course and ran over.

"Hey what do you think you're doing? Where do you think you're taking those kids?" he demanded angrily feeling protective over the kids and trying to think of how Aara would deal with the situation. She probably wouldn't have been so confrontational-at least not at first she always managed to keep a cool head during tense situations knowing exactly what to do. It was always Bram that had been rash, that's what always got him into trouble before he met Aara. However, a stench filled his nostrils a familiar scent, the Geostigma. Glancing over each of the children he saw that they all were infected.

"We're being taken for treatment, these guys said they have the cure." One of the children piped up.

"That's right, we're just taking them with us to cure them we have to look out for our brothers and sisters." Said one of the teens, he had shoulder length silver hair and cat eyes. Bram stared at him, _brothers and sisters… he's like Aara he wants to help them_ he thought _he said he has the cure… if we could cure everyone back at the house things would become better… there's a cure_ his mind chanted.

"Can you bring this cure to our house, we have many sick there." He said.

The teen raised one of his eyebrows, "Is that so?"

Bram nodded, "I'd say at least fifteen sick." He answered shifting from foot to foot impatiently, either he was wasting his time or he needed these people to help as soon as possible not noticing the smirk that stretched across the teen's face as he glanced to his brothers, "Can you bring the cure to us?" he demanded.

The teen shook his head, "We can't bring the cure to you, you have to come with us." He insisted.

Bram felt his heart race, _should I get Aara or should I get the kids,_ "How much longer are you going to be here?" Bram questioned.

"I'd say at least twenty minutes, you should run along and go get your sick siblings we wouldn't want to leave anyone behind." The mysterious teen told Bram.

Bram nodded adjusting his glasses on his nose, "Please wait here I'll be back as soon as possible." And with that dashed back off in the direction of the house his heart pounding in his ears. _I have to save everyone, I can save every one_ he chanted to himself, he arrived at the house feeling winded and sprinted up the stairs taking them two at a time and practically knocking down the door.

Rin had done as he asked and more, all of the sick children were gathered into one room under her supervision. The able bodied were helping the sicker children who were bedridden.

"You all have to come with me right now! I found someone with a cure!" Bram shouted, "But we have to leave right now!"


	3. Chapter 3: What Have I Done

Aara was sprinting down the street with Misao close on her heels, Aara had just been finishing up her grocery shopping when Misao suddenly ran up to her hysterically shouting and screaming. When she finally managed to get the eleven year old to calm down enough to explain the situation she dropped the groceries she had in hand and took off running home.

"Come on Misao, I know you can keep up you've always been one of the fastest!" Aara yelled out to the girl slowing behind her, Aara couldn't bring herself to leave the girl behind the small girl was an emotionally wreck right now and absolutely petrified.

Aara swung around the next corner dashing past an old run down church she walked past every day and continued sprinting skidded around the next corner her house in sight. She burst through the door and flew up the stairs.

She knocked down the door to the boy's room to see Rin sitting on the floor crying and clutching at Tomo's hand.

"It's too late Aara… he died… there was nothing I could do he just died… he said thank you and then he just stopped breathing." Rin sobbed holding the dead boy's hand to her chest, "He... he was so nice."

Aara looked down in horror at the sight before her, her heart pounding, she felt the world spin under foot… he was alive this morning she gave him breakfast and he was alright-more than alright. He looked better then yesterday there was no fever, he was sitting up, he even said he wanted to get out of bed… how had he just died.

Her eyes scanned over the rest of the room her mind trying to figure out what to tell the other children, and that's when she finally noticed, "Rin… where is everybody else."

"I-I tried to stop Bram before he left without your permission. But he said he found someone with the cure and he'd have to leave right away. He knew that Tomo couldn't make the trip so he said to stay here and that they'll come for him later. After that he got everyone together and just took off." Rin explained and sniffled, "I should have stopped him-I'm sorry Aara, I'm so sorry." She sobbed.

Aara ran at the small girl and grabbed her in a tight embrace, "No, you did fine Rin. More than fine, you made sure that Tomo was comfortable before he died and you stayed by his side. I am so proud of you, you were so strong and brave."

"Don't cry it's going to be alright. I want you to go clean yourself up and join all the other kids downstairs alright, don't tell them what happened. I'll handle it later but first I have to go find the others." Aara instructed.

Rin nodded swiping at her accumulated tears and snot, "I understand Aara, I'll do it right away." She said and told Aara where Bram said he was going.

Aara thanked her and flew back down the stairs and sprinted down the street, she put her head down and ran. There were two instances where she almost got hit by a car running straight out into traffic not caring about her own safety.

She shoved people out of her way as she ran desperately her heart racing, her chest constricted. She heard a child screaming, a voice she'd recognize anywhere little Chloe. She doubled her speed not caring about the fact that it caused her pain and she was exhausted, she heard Chloe scream and someone was going to pay for that. She rounded the corner to see the small four year old struggling and screaming for help as two teenage boys tried to put her in the back of a truck.

Aara registered in her mind that Bram lay unconscious against the wall of a building on the street, his glasses broken and blood running down his forehead. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" she screamed and dashed head first at the largest of the two teens who had shirt silver hair.

Aara never had much fighting experience only the few scraps she got into when she was still a child or breaking up fights Bram got into. She ran and leapt at him trying to grab onto the large teen. He didn't see her at first until she tackled him, she had hoped to get him to the ground but all she really managed was to throw herself at him causing him to drop Chloe who ran over to Bram and started shaking him trying to get him to wake up.

The tall teen meanwhile snatched Aara off of his back and threw her to the ground in front of him, she landed hard on her spine and felt the air rush out of her lungs. "Who are you?" the other one demanded, he had long silver hair.

Aara growled and got to her feet to be snatched up by the taller of the two with short hair, he easily lifted her off of the ground, "Aara!" Sai shouted worriedly from the back of the truck dashing over to the edge and watching helplessly as she struggled.

Aara suddenly felt something in her pocket, the small screw driver she was using earlier to fix the faucet was still in her pocket, she bit down hard on the arm in front of her causing a distraction to grab the screw driver. She stabbed it harshly back feeling it dig into the flesh behind her. Her attacker howled in pain and dropped her she landed on her feet staggering to see her other attacker rush at her angrily.

"She hurt me brother!" howled the first attacker in pain as he stepped away from her.

She swiped at the long haired assaulter her nails racking down his face causing red lines to appear dripping small crimson drops, "Leave my kids alone!" she yelled angrily.

The attacker with the long hair swung at her hitting her there was a crack and she went flying back. The children screamed in terror. Her eyes widened in surprise there was no way that he was human if he could hit her that hard. She slammed into the wall behind her and fell to the ground, she coughed up blood, "What-what are you?" she managed out as she struggled to sit up.

Chloe frantically shook Bram desperate to get him to awaken, he groaned but made no other sign of coming around, "Mommy!" she yelled and dashed over to Aara her blonde pigtails streaking out behind her.

As she sped past her caretaker's attackers they snatched her by the collar of her dress swinging her up into the back of the truck.

"No you don't!" Aara yelled struggling to get to her feet, she knew the odds weren't in her favour. Whether or not she stood a chance seemed pointless to consider, it was obvious that there was no way she could win. But she wasn't going to back down, there was no way she would back down.

Yelling she ran at them again, she knew enough on how to make a fist and swing a proper punch she swung at the one she scratched earlier. He didn't make a move, he simply stood stunned that she had gotten to her feet and was attacking him again. His head cracked to the side, before she could celebrate her success she felt a foot connect with her ribs and she went flying again, she heard a crack when the foot connected with her and then she slammed into the wall again falling into a pile of garbage.

She was dazed and confused and it was getting difficult to breathe, she coughed out blood again. She shifted around and heard a clatter, there was a heavy metal pipe under hand. She knew that fighting with a weapon was a bad choice if you didn't know how to use it because it could be used against you. But Aara was desperate at this point not really caring what happened to her so as long as she got her kids out safely.

She staggered and stumbled her way to the two silver haired fiends, "I won't let you hurt them!" she yelled suddenly feeling an unfamiliar power course through her, was it adrenaline she wondered? Could it be? She wasn't sure, adrenaline had been pumping through her veins for a long time now, could you get a second wind with adrenaline she wondered. No she knew that didn't happen, she didn't care what this power was-she would use it.

She screeched and swung the metal pole over the taller assaulter's head, he didn't even look fazed when he swung back at her. Bram heard the screaming and he slowly came to consciousness, he saw Aara go flying and trying to struggled to her feet, the brother with the longer hair slowly stalking over to her before grounding his boot into her spine.

Bram watched in horror, what had he done? He had only meant to help, but things suddenly started to go wrong when they started to load the children up into the truck. He tried to take them back but they hit him and they hit him hard. He willed himself to get up but it was pointless he knew it _I don't have the same will power as Aara I can't will myself to throw my body aside to save them_ he thought as he watched the boy pull his foot back and kick Aara hard.

"No… stop" he managed out weakly stretching his hand out to Aara.

He saw Sai leap over the back of the truck and run to Aara throwing himself over her and trying to shield her with his body. Bram lost consciousness again feeling horrible for what he had done.


	4. Chapter 4: Hostage

Kadaj looked down upon the unwanted and unwelcomed hostage that his brothers took. She was still unconscious, if not for her chest slowly rising and fallen he would have mistook her for being dead, her hair was splayed out around her, her face was covered. He knelt down and brushed it aside to reveal her face, it was a soft gentle face the faintest splash of freckles across her nose. Her lashes casting shadows down on her cheeks, there was a trail of blood coming out of her nose and mouth.

Her clothes were simple, a well-worn long-sleeved white cotton shirt that was now dirtied and bloodied from her fight, a soft satchel that had been patched by hand numerous times, it was now more patch work then the original satchel. Her pants were well worn and stained and her boots were horribly scuffed and in fact the sole was starting to separate from the boot, held in place by tape that was coloured with a brown marker to match the boot.

She shifted and groaned shifting on the floor of the truck bed, _Forgive me brother, unforeseen circumstances forced us to take her with us… it appears the children knew her-they even called her their mother and one threatened to sacrifice himself for her, they were uncooperative. There was another one but we managed to leave him behind._ Yazoo had reported to him when they met up at their base.

Kadaj tched in frustration at this predicament, they were now weighed down with a liability when he should be focused on searching for Mother. He was curious though about one detail his brothers mentioned-they said the children called her mother but there was no way that she could possibly be any of the children's mother because she was so young.

Her eyes fluttered before she jolted awake, she released a gasp and curled in on herself in pain wincing before noticing Kadaj and readying to strike him. He caught her hand in the air, her hand was delicate in his hands. If he applied any pressure he could snap her wrist-it wasn't her fault that she was just human and had no relation to Mother. In fact he found it curious that such a weak being was so desperate and willing to fight.

She struggled against him trying to pull her wrist free from his grasp, gritting her teeth in anger and frustration. She glowered at him and brought her other hand up digging her nails into his skin, he remembered seeing Yazoo's face, she had scratched him badly.

"Forgive me, I believe my brothers treated you rather roughly." He started.

"Let me go, I want to see my siblings where are they?" she demanded.

He still remained clamped down on her wrist, "You see, we want to help your siblings. They are my siblings as well, they are related to Mother but are rejecting her presence we will help them." He explained to her.

Aara tried to pull away looking at the silver haired man who had grabbed her, she brought her feet up trying to push against him trying to block out his words, _They're lies, he's bad don't listen_ she coached herself. "You're not making any sense, there's no way that you're related to them-they're not even related to each other." She answered him.

Kadaj was losing his patience, he had other things to do then to try and convince her to be complacent and obedient to him, "It will make sense in time, but you must believe me we are going to cure these siblings of yours."

"I want to see them." She demanded and pushed against him with her feet again.

He clamped his other hand down on her ankles, she winced in pain and was unable to wriggle them free, "I'm on a very tight schedule right now-I have to find Mother. You wouldn't understand." He growled and noticed she stopped struggling.

"Mother?" she repeated and blinked at him confused, "Are you looking for your mother?" she asked him.

"Yes I'm looking for mother-what do you know something about her?" in his excitement he grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently, "Tell me all you know, what do you know about Mother?" he demanded pushing her again, she fell back slamming hard into the truck bed. He pinned her there slamming his hands into her shoulders.

"I don't know anything I swear!" she shouted in terror, her dark eyes locking onto his green eyes looking frightened, he stopped shaking her, "It's just I make it my job to find people." She whispered.

"Well you should have said that in the first place, I can't afford to be distracted, I must find Mother." He said in an angry rush in her face.

"I'm sorry for your loss." The girl stated, Aara knew she shouldn't be sympathizing with him, he forcibly kidnapped herself and her siblings. However, the sense of connection because of loss rung deeply with Aara.

"Excuse me?" he said confused by what she said.

"I lost my parents when I was young so I understand your loss." She stated sadly glancing away from his eyes embarrassedly. _Don't sympathize with him Aara are you insane? Don't feel things for him, you have to hate his guts_ she coached herself.

Kadaj stared down at the girl beneath him curious, "I haven't lost her, I need to find Mother." He insisted.

"Kadaj." Yazoo called trying to find his brother, he had left him alone for a long time with the hostage. He padded around the truck to find Kadaj in a very… interesting position Yazoo settled for describing the situation, he never once thought that his brother would well… attack a girl. He came around to find Kadaj straddling the girl pinning her shoulders down to the truck bed.

Kadaj looked up over at his brother, "Brother." He greeted, "I have been talking with the hostage, she says that she looks for people. Perhaps we can use her to find Mother." Kadaj suggested.

The girl beneath him shifted trying to wriggle free and Yazoo realised that he mistook the situation, she looked over at him and flushed bright red. Well at least one of the two understood that the situation was awkward, however she really had nothing to fear from Kadaj except for her life, he was not interested in her.

"I can help with your search." She volunteered, _Let them trust you then maybe you can get away or at least get the kids away_ Aara thought to herself.

Kadaj got off of her and she released a sigh of relief sitting up and moving away from her, her cheeks were still warm and she was certain that her face was still red from being pinned in such a compromising position.

"So you're looking for your mother?" she asked to clarify.

"Yes we _must_ find Mother." Kadaj insisted to the mysterious girl that his brothers had brought in, he was suddenly very happy that she was brought in his earlier irritation dissipated.

"Alright, I understand. First things first, we need to thoroughly search the last place you saw her, if she's not there, chances are there are clues to where she could be." She started trying to calm her racing heart and remain calm, she had to help them now that she volunteered and she had to get away hoping cooperation would be the key, "Next, you need to question anyone she was close to or would have seen her last." She continued.

Kadaj nodded, he had searched thoroughly where mother had last been seen, but he didn't think to question people, he glanced over to Yazoo, "Perhaps we should question brother." He proposed.

The girl looked up glancing over at him and nodding her head, "That sounds like an excellent idea to ask your brother." The two silver hared brothers stared at the girl, she had proven to be unexpectedly beneficial.

She got to her feet, "So where are we going and when are we leaving?" she asked putting her hands on her hips.

The two brothers stared at her, Kadaj shaking his head, "You're not coming." He stated firmly.

"What?" Aara asked.

"You'll only get in our way, we must find Mother as soon as possible." Kadaj insisted growing impatient with her now.

Aara's mind was spinning with thought, she couldn't decide whether this was beneficial or not. If she got to go with them she could earn their trust and hopefully convince them to let her go, but then again being left alone may give her the opportunity to escape.

"Fine then." She stated, _but if I use now to escape I have no idea who these people are… how am I supposed to track them down,_ "What are your names?" she blurted out in a sudden rush and then flushed in embarrassment.

"Kadaj." The one who pinned her stated, she glanced over to the one with the long hair that remained silent. She looked him in the eye but he simply stared back at her not offering an answer, "Yazoo." Kadaj answered for her and she nodded her head.

"Aara." She stated locking eye with Kadaj, his eyes were odd, cat like and a hypnotic green blue. Kadaj got to his feet and grabbed her by the shoulder. Reflexively Aara jerked away trying to get free.

He grabbed her more roughly, "Hey, we're taking you to see your siblings." He growled and she instantly stopped struggling. She allowed the brothers to drag her to their base of operations. It looked like old ruins that Aara was unfamiliar with, panic set in because she realised that even if she could manage to escape with the children that she had no idea where to go they would inevitably catch her again and when that time came they would not be kind.

They showed her to an old abandoned building and opened the door, lined along the walls on the floor were mattresses with sheets thrown upon them and children seated on the mattresses closest to the doors. Several familiar faces glanced up at Aara and lit up, they leapt to their feet and dashed for her but stopped in their tracks when they saw Kadaj freezing in place.

Their feelings for the silver haired trio were a confusing mix, they wanted to trust the brothers because of the offer for a cure. But at the same time they had an instinctual urge to flee from the brothers


End file.
